The best is hands on IMO. Unless you get it turned on and spend some time, and it really isn't a LOT of time, it will stay in the box. Tutorials are nice, but, not as good as hands on play time with your camera for an hour or so. Just an hour or so playing with it, setting it up, etc. will help you get familiarized with it. Most cameras use similar words or icons so there is carryover from your other camera.

Take it one step at a time. There's nothing wrong with using AUTO mode on a dSLR. And from there you can try P (Program Auto) mode, which works much like AUTO but it remembers your choices from prior sessions. Then maybe you can pick another mode that suits you better.

First off, what do you feel is lacking in the results you get with your current camera? Secondly, I believe that 90% or more of people with DSLRs don't use anything other than auto, ever. Nothing wrong with that: teams of engineers and photographers have designed the cameras to give good results this way, and have had years to refine the systems.

I've been thinking lately that it would be cool if we could start something like that up here.

A sort of on-line camera club . . . not that this isn't one . . . but add a series of challenges (like the bi-weekly challenge), but centered around going through all the really useful foundation stuff like . . . rule-of-thirds . . . aperture priority . . . using external flash . . . etc.

I know I'd take part in it to keep learning.

There are so many knowledgeable and talented photographers here at Steve's that it would be possible.

Anyone else interested in starting something like that up?

I'll volunteer to spend some time working at this, whatever I can help out with . . .